IRELAND’S GROWTH HASN’T happened overnight, according to Carla Ward, but her two group campaigns at the helm have been like night and day.
Ward inherited a wounded squad last January, with scars from their Euro 2025 play-off defeat to Wales fresh and fragile.
Defensive centurions Niamh Fahey and Diane Caldwell had just retired, while Julie-Ann Russell, Louise Quinn and Megan Campbell would later follow – 462 caps shed across a few short months.
Meanwhile, Ward was in her first international management job and trying to implement a more attacking, possession-based style and 4-3-3 system in League B of the Nations League.
After a scrappy, unconvincing 1-0 home win over Türkiye, her tactical overhaul backfired in a chastening 4-0 defeat to Slovenia in Koper. In Ward’s own words, it would prove “a blessing in disguise” as the scale of the project was laid bare. She took ownership and rowed back.
Further experimentation and inconsistencies followed as Ireland recovered with a 4-0 second-half win away to Greece and held on for an underwhelming 2-1 victory in the return tie. Emily Murphy led a great escape in Türkiye; Saoirse Noonan’s decisive early goal inflicted some revenge on Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, but it wasn’t enough for automatic promotion to League A as they headed for the play-offs.
The turning point arrived thereafter.
“I’d say the summer, after the campaign,” Ward reflects. “I looked at where we’re at, what we’ve got, what we do well, how I want to play, but what are Ireland really good at?
“I think some of you were in that press conference (after Slovenia in Cork), when I said it needed to be a little bit of Carla with the ball and Ireland without the ball.
“And I sat down with Katie (McCabe) in London actually and we had a really long conversation about a lot of things.
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“I remember thinking, if we can bring an Irish off the ball mentality and a Carla Ward mentality with the ball, this could be quite exciting. And I think it has been.”
Katie McCabe, Marissa Sheva and Chloe Mustaki celebrate a goal earlier in the campaign. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
The former Aston Villa boss reverted to the back three/five generally deployed by Ireland through the years in a pair of 4-0 friendly defeats away to the US in June. That Stateside trip – with big names absent, the first game at altitude and the second in extreme heat – was questioned at the time, but the benefits have since manifested.
System tweaks were made, players like Chloe Mustaki and Marissa Sheva put their hands up, and valuable time was spent together off the pitch as well as on it.
Ward comes across as a people manager who really cares about her players and the environment; ‘togetherness’ is a word that’s repeated over and over. And that works both ways, the players repeatedly hailing her impact on and off the pitch. Belief appears a major factor.
The significant results shift was in October, when Ireland upset Belgium in their Nations League promotion/relegation play-off. They laid the groundwork in a rollicking 4-2 win at Aviva Stadium, before Abbie Larkin’s 90th-minute goal settled the two-legged tie 5-4 in Leuven and secured League A status.
The same resilience, character and heart has been evident right through this World Cup group qualifying campaign.
The opening 2-1 defeats to heavyweights France and Netherlands were narrow, Ireland leading for almost an hour against Les Bleues but undone by two-goal heroes and deeper squads on both occasions. The 3-2 and 1-0 successes over Poland were somewhat underrated as they became the first promoted League A team to win two games.
A third would follow, that madcap, famous 3-2 victory over the Dutch in which Ireland astonishingly hit the front three times and Amber Barrett bagged another 90th-minute winner.
By then, they had written another piece of history as the only promoted League A team never to be immediately relegated, and their sights were set on more: automatic qualification.
It was huge mountain to climb at the foot of the Alps, and Ward’s side weren’t far off. Melvine Malard’s first-half wonder-goal was the difference on the scoreboard, but Ireland had chances, particularly after a 72nd-minute red card for the hosts. Perhaps Ward should have went for it sooner, with the attacking double substitution held off until the 88th minute, but this disappointment further points to the progress.
It’s fair to say the team are playing their best football ever. They have scored nine goals in six games, finding the back of the net in all bar one, with six different providers. Players have stepped up. There has been consistency across performances, style of play, and selection.
They have soared to a record high of 21st in the Fifa World Rankings ahead of the play-offs, for which they are seeded in October.
Abbie Larkin reacts to her missed chance against France. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
“Massive growth,” Ward – whose competitive record is nine wins and five defeats – reflects. “If I’m being really brutally honest, I think that we’ve developed a clear identity, we’ve raised standards, we’ve built a togetherness which is like a family.
“I said that to the group: we have a character about us where, if we go behind, we have to fight to get back in front. We have to ensure that we continue to build on our identity.
“Let’s be really honest, I think a lot of people around the world have been talking about this group this week and they’ve earned that right through their performances, their attitudes, their character.”
At that, Ward is reminded of a question FAI director of football John Martin had asked her during a walk on matchday: “How different is it to the group you picked up?”
“I picked up a group that was hurt. Lots of players had left. Transition time. There was a lot of work to do. It’s not been easy and it’s not happened overnight. It’s happened over a period.
“That’s why it’s really important that we continue that work because this group can get better and better. I believe that. I fully believe that.”
This campaign has surely assured Martin and others at the FAI that she is the woman to continue this work, and lead them beyond next summer’s World Cup.
Heimir Hallgrímsson was rewarded a contract extension earlier this year; Ward has done enough to follow suit in due course.
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Carla Ward's two group campaigns have been like night and day
IRELAND’S GROWTH HASN’T happened overnight, according to Carla Ward, but her two group campaigns at the helm have been like night and day.
Ward inherited a wounded squad last January, with scars from their Euro 2025 play-off defeat to Wales fresh and fragile.
Defensive centurions Niamh Fahey and Diane Caldwell had just retired, while Julie-Ann Russell, Louise Quinn and Megan Campbell would later follow – 462 caps shed across a few short months.
Meanwhile, Ward was in her first international management job and trying to implement a more attacking, possession-based style and 4-3-3 system in League B of the Nations League.
After a scrappy, unconvincing 1-0 home win over Türkiye, her tactical overhaul backfired in a chastening 4-0 defeat to Slovenia in Koper. In Ward’s own words, it would prove “a blessing in disguise” as the scale of the project was laid bare. She took ownership and rowed back.
Further experimentation and inconsistencies followed as Ireland recovered with a 4-0 second-half win away to Greece and held on for an underwhelming 2-1 victory in the return tie. Emily Murphy led a great escape in Türkiye; Saoirse Noonan’s decisive early goal inflicted some revenge on Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, but it wasn’t enough for automatic promotion to League A as they headed for the play-offs.
The turning point arrived thereafter.
“I’d say the summer, after the campaign,” Ward reflects. “I looked at where we’re at, what we’ve got, what we do well, how I want to play, but what are Ireland really good at?
“I think some of you were in that press conference (after Slovenia in Cork), when I said it needed to be a little bit of Carla with the ball and Ireland without the ball.
“And I sat down with Katie (McCabe) in London actually and we had a really long conversation about a lot of things.
“I remember thinking, if we can bring an Irish off the ball mentality and a Carla Ward mentality with the ball, this could be quite exciting. And I think it has been.”
The former Aston Villa boss reverted to the back three/five generally deployed by Ireland through the years in a pair of 4-0 friendly defeats away to the US in June. That Stateside trip – with big names absent, the first game at altitude and the second in extreme heat – was questioned at the time, but the benefits have since manifested.
System tweaks were made, players like Chloe Mustaki and Marissa Sheva put their hands up, and valuable time was spent together off the pitch as well as on it.
Ward comes across as a people manager who really cares about her players and the environment; ‘togetherness’ is a word that’s repeated over and over. And that works both ways, the players repeatedly hailing her impact on and off the pitch. Belief appears a major factor.
The significant results shift was in October, when Ireland upset Belgium in their Nations League promotion/relegation play-off. They laid the groundwork in a rollicking 4-2 win at Aviva Stadium, before Abbie Larkin’s 90th-minute goal settled the two-legged tie 5-4 in Leuven and secured League A status.
The same resilience, character and heart has been evident right through this World Cup group qualifying campaign.
The opening 2-1 defeats to heavyweights France and Netherlands were narrow, Ireland leading for almost an hour against Les Bleues but undone by two-goal heroes and deeper squads on both occasions. The 3-2 and 1-0 successes over Poland were somewhat underrated as they became the first promoted League A team to win two games.
A third would follow, that madcap, famous 3-2 victory over the Dutch in which Ireland astonishingly hit the front three times and Amber Barrett bagged another 90th-minute winner.
By then, they had written another piece of history as the only promoted League A team never to be immediately relegated, and their sights were set on more: automatic qualification.
It was huge mountain to climb at the foot of the Alps, and Ward’s side weren’t far off. Melvine Malard’s first-half wonder-goal was the difference on the scoreboard, but Ireland had chances, particularly after a 72nd-minute red card for the hosts. Perhaps Ward should have went for it sooner, with the attacking double substitution held off until the 88th minute, but this disappointment further points to the progress.
It’s fair to say the team are playing their best football ever. They have scored nine goals in six games, finding the back of the net in all bar one, with six different providers. Players have stepped up. There has been consistency across performances, style of play, and selection.
They have soared to a record high of 21st in the Fifa World Rankings ahead of the play-offs, for which they are seeded in October.
“Massive growth,” Ward – whose competitive record is nine wins and five defeats – reflects. “If I’m being really brutally honest, I think that we’ve developed a clear identity, we’ve raised standards, we’ve built a togetherness which is like a family.
“I said that to the group: we have a character about us where, if we go behind, we have to fight to get back in front. We have to ensure that we continue to build on our identity.
“Let’s be really honest, I think a lot of people around the world have been talking about this group this week and they’ve earned that right through their performances, their attitudes, their character.”
At that, Ward is reminded of a question FAI director of football John Martin had asked her during a walk on matchday: “How different is it to the group you picked up?”
“I picked up a group that was hurt. Lots of players had left. Transition time. There was a lot of work to do. It’s not been easy and it’s not happened overnight. It’s happened over a period.
“That’s why it’s really important that we continue that work because this group can get better and better. I believe that. I fully believe that.”
This campaign has surely assured Martin and others at the FAI that she is the woman to continue this work, and lead them beyond next summer’s World Cup.
Heimir Hallgrímsson was rewarded a contract extension earlier this year; Ward has done enough to follow suit in due course.
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